Educational test device



T. E. THOMPSON EDUCATIONAL TEST DEVICE Feb. 2, 1932.

Filed July 6. 1927 Zj/E/VTOR; THQ/m5 E T 0 P50/J,

@HT TOR/YL' Y Patented Feb. 2, 1932 1.THOMAS 'E.THO'MPSON, .0F LOSANGELES,HCALIFORN IA EDUCATIONAL TEST DEVICE Application filed July '6,

invention relates to educational devices 'and' more particularly todevices Vfor testing the knowledge of-a p-upil on any; given'subject.

It is :a'general'objectof ni-y invention to provide yanovel educationaltest device involving the segregation of'a plurality ofexercise-'members into groups asa means of indicating a -solution'ofthe'exercises on 'said members.

.It-is a jfurtherobject of myinvent-ion" to provide suchadevice havingchecking means quickly Aoperable by the pupilhimself to ascertainthecorrectness of this segregation.

It is astill` further Vcbject of my invention to provide sucha devicehaving checking means not-easily utilize'dby the Vpupil to enablel himto;l segregate. thel exercise members `into-'proper groups; withoutvworking 'the 'exercises provided von thesezmembers.

Another object of my inventionfisjto provideaneducational test devicelinwhich the yproper sequence cfa plurality Aof elements must bedetermi-nedzby the pupil.

:A stillfurther object of my invention'isto provide an educational testdevice involving determining sequence in lwhich the -correctness ofthepupils solution` is readily'ascertainable after the solution has beenmade.

Further .objects and advantages will ".be

ma'de manifest .in the following description and in* the 'accompanyingdrawings in which apreferred embodiment ofmy invention is illustrated.

In the.draw1iigs,`F1g. 1 is 'a perspectlve `view showing a preferred'formcf my invention in use.

F ig. 21s a perspective view illustratingan answer fmemberof myinvention.

Figs. i3 and 4 ztregper spectiveviews illustrating exercise members, theexercises of `which .are satisfied lby the answer vof "the answerImember shown. in Fig. 42.

VFig. 5 is :a 'fragmentary perspective :view illustrating the answermember ofFig.' 2 and the exercisemembers ofFigs. Siand f1 stacked. upon.each other. Y

:Figs-rtcf inclusivev are views similar to Figs. .2' to qrespectively`and illustrate in' the same manner different "forms of answer'mem-1927. Serial No. 203,752.

:ber and exercise members than those illustrated in the foregoingfigures.

Figs. and"11 are perspective views illustrating a group of exercisemembers Aand a corresponding answer member which are provided with Vadifferent form of checking mea-nsffrom that with which the members ofthe device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive are-provided.

Fig. 12 -is a plan view illustrating a group t() of exercise members and-a corresponding vanswer'member stacked upon each other in segregatedrelation, these'members being provided witha modified form of checkingmeans which differs 'from those illustrated in the '65 'other' figures.

'Referring specifically to the drawings, Fig. y1 shows 'a preferred form15 of the 'educationaldevice of my invention whichl includes a;plurality of cards 16 of uniform shape and =7U size,A a certain' numberof which form answer members or cards 17 and others forming exercise`members or cards 18. The answer cards 17 are each provided with ananswer inscribed'upon `its face. vEach of the exer- 75 cise cards`18 isprovided with an exercise inscribed upon a face thereof. As the deviceillustrated in'Fig. 1 is utilizedfor giving a testin multiplication anddivision in arithmetio, the answers provided on the answer cards 17 eachcomprises a number,-while each of the exercises provided upon theexercise cards 18 comprises a `'problem in multiplication or division inarithmetic. The answers onthe 'various answer cards 17 are different 85in quantity and the problems provided on the exercisecards'lS are soldevised that the correct answer to each one of the problems may befoundinscribed upon one of the answer cards 1'7. f Thus, all of the exercisecards may be segregated into groups 19 so that the exercisesontheexercisecards of each group are satisfiedby; they answer on one of theanswer cards 17.

In themanufacture of the device 15, each 9' answer card and the group 19of exercise cards corresponding thereto are provided with'checling meanswhich, as shown in Figs.

1 to 9 inclusive,'consists of a hole 2O provided in each of' the cardssothat when each group 2?? kcards 18 are in different stacks the exercisecards being mixed so that the cards ofiione of the ygroups 19 aretogether. The answer cards 17 are first placed in a row by the pupil, asshown inFig. 1. v The pupil then takes up the exercise cards andrattempts to solve the exercise thereon. Afterv solving each exercise, heplaces the card upon rwhich it is inscribed next to the answer cardbearing: the answer which he has decided satisfies this exercise.Thisexercise cardis placed so thatthe. edge farthestawayfrom tlieobserver overlaps the near edge of the correspondingV answer card.

When another-'exercise VAcard has been taken up in which the exercisethereof is satisfied by the same answer, this exercise card is placedwith its far edge overlapping the nearedge of the, iirst exercise card.llfhen all ofthe exercisecards have been placedin a similar manneraccordingto the answers whichthe pupil decides satisfy the exercisesthereon',

Y the device 15 will appear as shown in Fig.' 1.

The checking means formed by the holes 2O may nowbe utilized toascertain whether or not the groups 19 have been properly forined Toaccomplish this the cards of eachgrcup 19 and the corre-spending` answercard are vslid against each other into a stack, as shown in Fig. 5,inwhich the cards are accurately superimposed one above the other. lf theholes 20vand the cards of the stack are in alignment, the pupil knowsthat all of the ex;- ercise cards inthis stack belong in this group 19and that he has correctly solved the excr cise upon each of thes-ecards.l lf, however,

Y theholes 20 of one orV more of the cards of this stack do not alignwith thehole 2O cf the' answer card 17 in this stack, he knows thatheihasjerred-in solvingthe exercise on each `card whose hole20l isiiotvso aligned. rihe Yexercise cardsflbl bearing exercises thus found tohave been incorrectly solved are laid aside and afterall ofthegroups'into which'theV pupil has segregated the exercise cards 18 havebeen checked in the mannery pointed out above, the pupil gives hisattention to correctly solving the exercises which werev previouslywrongly solved. v i

y./elarge number of the devices 15 may be prgvidedV for a largeclass sothat the exercise cardsof the individual devices varyiii charW acter.'`Thus by giving out each'indi'vidual f device to different pupils ondifferent days no single pupil will be able to become so familiar withthe saine problems by frequently working thein that it will not benecessary for liirn to solve the problems by mathematical reasoning.

llhile the holes 20 in the groups 19 are in such widely differentpositions that the cards ci' a givengroup could be easily identifiedwith the corresponding answer card merely by observation of the locationof the holes 29, this exaggeration is shown in the drawings purely forv.the -purpose of illustration and does not occur in the'actual deviceVas manufactured. As will be noted, it is only necessary to have tendifferent positions on the cards of the device for the lioles20 so asto. accomplish the purpose of the holes as checking means. The holes 20are quite small in size and these ten diiferent positions can be groupedquite near the center of the card sothat it would be almost impossibleto group the cardsprop'erly by observation of `the lof cation of theholes 20jtherein. n,

ln soinecases it might be desirable to have a, checkingmeans` whichwould operate inimediately upon the pupil laying down an exercise cardadjacent to an answer card'so as to indicate at once thecorrectnessorincorrectness of the pupilsr solution of the exercise on this exercisecard. Such a checking means is provided upony the cards 25, .shown in.,llig.Y 10, in which an answer card v26 and exercise cards'27 are eachprovided with a characteristic setof lines 28 imprinted upon the surfaceofthe card.'V lThe lines 28 upon all thecards 25 of `a ygiven group 29`would have an individual spacingrelative to the card which wouldcorrespond to the spacingof the lines 28Y on the corresponding answercard 26. Fig. 11 shows the cards 25 telescoped Yinto -a stack,- whichcards are slightly staggered relative toeach other so that theprojecting ends of the various cards may be compared to ascertainwhether the checking lines 28 are in agreement' throughoutk the stack. pf 'y y In Fig. 12, a stack 82 of'exercise cards 33 andan answer card 311arev shown, the'cards of this stackbeing provided-with transversechecking lines 35. As will be noted the checking lines 35 of all of theexercise cards 33 are in agreement with the checkii'ig lines of theanswer'card 31 excepting the checking lines of the exercise card 86.rilhe use or transverse checking lines 35, fas illustrated in Fie. y12,is ofconsiderable advantage inasmuch as it is impossible for the pupilto check theA group 32 of, exercise cards 33 Vwith the answer card 3&1unless thesehave the laterally staggered position in which they areVshown in Fig. 12. This position is peculiarly a checking position and;in order to prevent .the pupil making use of the checking nieans insegregating the cards in the groups 19, the pupil would ybe forbidden toform the cards in .the stacks, as shown inFig. 12, until thersegregation of thercards, asshownin'fFig. il, -ivasfcompleted -Therformofthe device illustrated in F ig. 10 fdi'iiers ifromilthe other fformsofthe de- ;vice :sho-Wn, in -that iy it is apparent iat fonce upon-'thechild layingra 'card down in place whether or 'not'.he has madepacorrect solutionoffthe problem thereon. `I'nthe other lformsofthedevice, y-as-shown in Figs. l to 49 and l2, however, `thecheckinglmeanszimay V'not easily lbeused-bythefpupilfto avoid thenecessity. of solving the problems on the exercise-sheets in yorder 5toV'segr'egatethe vcards into :the groups 19.

*Other forms of checking means ,might be utili-Zed such vas making thevcards of the. "different groups 19 andfftheir corresponding yanswercardofa different length or slightly differentfshape VVi`ro1n'thecardsof the other groupsof the device. Another modilied form of checking:means which isfnot shown in the ldrawingsoomprisesfthe'printing ofasymbol .upontthe back of eachofthe cards' 16. rllhese symbolsoneach'fotthe'number cards inthe groupof answers Landithe group ofexercise cards lcorresponding fthereto Vare ydistinctive ffromtheysymbols printed' on "the backs of theother cardsfl. For instance, onthe back of 'one number card Aand its Vcorresponding Agroup of exercisecards could be a star, While other symbols lused might comprise circles,

' squares,l triangles, etc.

While the embodiment .illustrated herein presents aftest in arithmetic,theinvention A-maybezusedto lgivea test in almostzanysubjectdesiredwhere each of a group o'fanswers -satisiies the-exerciseson a selected group 1,9

fof exercise cards 18.

Because of .the many modilied forms of device vin which myfinventionvmight be embodied, I desirevthatfmy-inventionmay not be limited Yin`scope 'beyond a `broad* interpretation :of the appended Claims.

VI--claimfas my invention: l. *lnan educational'testvdevice,-thecoinbination of :a plurality ofsolution members; and: Tak plurality ofproblem members each relatedwith onefof said solution` members, saidproblem members and said solution members having check meansfforindicating when the problem members have'bee'n appliedv to their relatedsolution members, said check means 'functioningrto'indicate'the right orWrong placing oflthepproblem members upon alignment of-said probleminemlaeiswitli-said solution members.

vIn an educational test device, thecombination of: aio-pluralityv(5f-solution members; and-a plurality of problem members, eachr relatedWith one ofsaidsolution members, said problemV members and saidsolutionr members each having check meansfforindicatingfWhen the'problem -members k{have been applied to their -irelated -solutiontmembers, `said check meansffunctionlng to vindicatethe rig-ht orv Wrongplacing of thefproblem members upon lan alignment of said problemmembers with said solution members, said check means beingin the form ofopenings formed in said problem vmembers and said solution members.

3. yIn an educational test device, the combination of: a plurality ofgroups of problem members; and a plurality of solution members, each ofsaid solution members being related With one group oivsaid problemmembers, each solution member and each of the related groups of problemmembers havingsimilar check means for indicating when the problemmembers have been applied to their related solution members, said checkmeans of each groupl being disposed differentlyffrom those of the othergroups and functioning to indicate theright or Wrong placing of theproblem members upon an alignmentorn said problem members with saidsolution members, said check means of each group aligning VWhen saidmembers are aligned provided however that the members be properlymatched.

4;. In an educational device, the combination of: a plurality of problemmembers each -ha-vingthereon 4a different complete problem; and alplurality Vol" solution members each 'having thereon a complete answerto at least lone of -sai'd problems, the sol-ution membersvcollectivelyproviding correct answers forall ofsaid problems, and eachproblemmemberbeing Vadapted to be selectively matched with any of ysaidsolution members regardless of Whether or not the selected answercorrectly yanswers the problem on thc `problem member thus matched, eachysolution member and the rela-ted problem member for which said solution'member carries'the correct answer beinglprovided with checking meansdisposed for co-alignment when the correlated problem and solutionmembers are correctly matched, the checking means of the differentcorrelated solution and lproblem members'being differentlydisposed sothat by. alignment or disalignment said checking means function toindicate a right or Wrong selective matchingotthe problem members nwiththe solution members.

l5. In an educational device, the combination of: a plurality ofsolution members each having thereon a different answerg'and a pluralityof groups of problem members, the respective members of each grouphaving thereon dillerent problems all answerable by the answer on one ofsaid solution members, all of theproblem members being adapted to beselectively'matched with any of the solution members regardless oi'Whether or not the selected answers correctly answer the problems on theproblem members thus matched, eachA solution member and each of thevcorrelated group of problem members for Which ksaid solution membercarries the correct answer being provided With `checkingimeans disposedfor co-alignmentwhen the correlated solution and problem members arecorrectly matched, the checking means of the different groups of problemmembers and correlated solution members being differently disposed soVthat by ralignment or logical relationshipfto each other and noflogicalrelationship with the symbols on theother cards, certain physicalcharacteristics being identical in all the cards having a logicalrelationship to each other and differing from the remaining cards sothat when the cards are stacked one upon the other, the presence in thestack of a card not Vlogically related to the other cards of the stackcanbe readily detected. Y

7. ln'an educational device, the combination of: a plurality of cardseach having symbols thereon, the symbols cn each card of a series-ofsaid cards being logically related to the symbols on the remaining cardsof said series and not logically related to any of said cards not insaid series, all of said cards appearing upon casual inspection to be ofapproximately the same physical characteristics, the physicalcharacteristics of` all the cards in any series being sufficientlysimilar to each other and suliiciently different from,

all the cards not belonging in that series to enable the promptdetection of a card not properly belonging in a series, upon stackingthe cards, if a card not belonging to said series is included in saidstack. f j Y8. In an -educational test device, the combination of: aplurality of groupsof separate exercise members, each exercise memberhaving symbols thereon deiining a lcertain exercise; and a plurality ofseparate vanswer members, each answer member having symbols thereondenoting a certain answer, all of said answers being 'differ-1 ent, eachof said answers applying to the exercises defined on all of the exercisemembers of asingle group, and each of said answer and exercise membershaving identifying characteristics'independent of said symbols, theidentifying characteristic .of each answer member and its relatedexercise members being the same anddiffering from the identifyingcharacteristics of all the other members comprised in the device. Y

9. In'an educational test device, the combination of: a plurality ofgroups of separate exercise members, each exercise memberhaving symbolsthereon defining a certain exercise; anda plurality of separate answermembers, each answer member having symbols thereon denoting a certainanswer, all of said answers being different, each of said answersapplying to the exercises defined 0n allof the exercise members of asingle group, and-each of said answer and exercise members havingidentifying characteristics independentof said symbols, the identifyingcharacteristic of each answer member and its related exercise membersbeing the same and differing Vfrom the identifying characteristics ofall theother members comprised in the device, the similarity between theidentifying characteristic of each answer member and each ofthe'exercisemembers logically associatedA therewith being obvious when said answermember' and :any `vof said exercise members are placed injuxtaposition.

10. In an educational test device, the combination of: a plurality ofgroups of separate exercise members, each exercise-member having symbolsthereon defining ay certain exercise; and a plurality of separate'answermembers, each answer member having symbols thereonV denoting a certainanswer, all of saidl answers being dierent,each of said answers applyingto the" exercises defined on all of the exercise members of a singlegroup,

and each of saidanswer and exercise members havingidentifyingcharacteristics independent of said symbols, the identifyingcharacteristic of'each answer member and its related exercise membersbeingY the same and differing from the identifying characteristics ofall the other members lcomprised in the device, the similarity betweenthe identifying characteristic of each'answer member and each of theexercise members logically associatedtherewith being obvious when saidanswer member and any of saidy exercise members are stacked on eachother.Y

los

11. In an educational test device, the combination of: a pluralityofgroups ofseparate exercise members, each exercise member having symbolsthereon defining a certain exercise; and a plurality of separate answermembers, each answer member having symbols thereon denoting a'certainanswer, all of saidanswers being different, each of said answersapplying to the exercises defined oni all of the exercise members of asingle group, and each of said answer and exercise members havingidentifying characteristicsindependent of said symbols, the identifyingcharacteristic of eachv answer member and its related exercisemembersbeingthe same and differing from the identifying characteristicsof all the Vother members comprised in the device, the similaritybetween the identifying lcharacteristic of each answer .member andeachof the exercise members logically associated therewith beingobviouswhen said answer member and any of said exercise members arestackedon 'each other, the identifying characteristic consisting ofholes so placed that a hole on each member registers With a' hole on theother When the members are so stacked.

l2. In an educational device the combination of a plurality of exercisemembers, said exercise members bearing symbols from Which respectivedeductions may be drawn, certain deductions being the same and diieringfrom the other deductions whereby the said exercise members may bearranged in groups based on the deductions.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 1st day of July, 1927.

THOMAS E. THOMPSON.

